First case of UK’s new virus strain detected in Leh
3 die of COVID, 79 test +ve
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 14: The biggest ever vaccination drive will kick off in Jammu and Kashmir on January 16 after launch of COVID-19 vaccine by Prime Minister Narendra Modi countrywide and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here as the administration has increased number of vaccination sites which will be active from Day one from 27 to 40 and shortlisted three Corona warriors, one of whom could get a chance to inter-act with the Prime Minister.
The Union Health Ministry has, meanwhile, directed that healthcare workers of the Central Government, Army and para-military forces should also be given Covishield vaccine doses as per their requirement in both the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh which have vast presence of security personnel.
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While Ladakh today received first consignment of 11,500 doses of Covishield vaccine, one of its citizens from Upper Leh was tested positive for new mutant strain virus in the report received today by Health Department of Ladakh from NCDC New Delhi. The 37-year-old male had returned from Germany on December 26.
“As per the protocol of foreign returnees, sample of the youth was sent to New Delhi and he tested positive today as communicated by the NCDC New Delhi,” Health Secretary Ladakh Rigzin Samphel told media persons in Leh this evening. He said the person has been isolated. He was, however, asymptomatic and his condition is alright, he added.
Samphel said the Air India has been informed about the person travelling in their flight testing positive for new mutant virus strain and accordingly the set protocol will be followed for the passengers.
This is the first case of new mutant virus strain which has been detected in Ladakh.
Earlier, in Jammu and Kashmir, one UK returnee had tested positive for COVID-19 in Roop Nagar area of Jammu district but he reported negative for new mutant virus strain.
Samphel said Ladakh today received 11,500 doses of Covishield which have been equally distributed between Leh and Kargil districts. The vaccination drive will start in Ladakh on January 16 like other parts of the country. He added that 17 vaccination sites have been created in Leh and 23 in Kargil. The vaccine will be administered only at Community and Primary Health Centres.
Some of the vaccine doses have been reserved for Central Services doctors and Armed and para-military forces, Samphel said.
The Union Health Ministry, according to sources, has directed administrations of both J&K and Ladakh UTs to deliver vaccine doses from the first batch of consignment to Central and Armed Forces healthcare workers.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Jammu district has kept 20,000 doses of vaccine while nine other districts in the region have been given doses ranging between 3000 to 5000 depending upon initial requirement as per strength of the healthcare workers.
“The vaccine has reached all district headquarters by this evening,” Director Health Services Jammu Dr Renu Sharma told the Excelsior.
Dr Sharma said from the district headquarters, the vaccine doses will reach the Community Health Centres which have been designated as vaccination centres in the first phase. In second phase, the Primary Health Centres will also be designated as the vaccine centres, she added and said all CHCs have cold chain points for preserving the vaccine till it is administered to healthcare workers.
Meanwhile, the Health Department today increased number of vaccination sites from the Day one i.e. January 16 from 27 to 40 to ensure that the vaccination drive for healthcare workers is expedited. Increase in vaccination sites to 40 means that 4000 healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, Ward boys, sanitation staff, mortuary workers, ambulance drivers etc will get vaccinated on the Day one of vaccination.
Earlier, 2700 healthcare workers had to be vaccinated on first day.
As Jammu and Kashmir has received 1,67,500 doses of Covishield vaccine in the first phase, around 60,000 healthcare workers will be vaccinated as half of the doses have to be reserved for the beneficiaries which will be given to them 28 days after the first dose. The Department has projected 10 percent spillage.
The Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu has shortlisted three healthcare workers, one of whom would inter-act with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during launch of vaccination drive against COVID-19 by him on January 16.
They include Sanitary Attendant, Nurse and Lab Attendant.
Modi is expected to inter-act with some of the COVID warriors across the country during launch of the vaccine on Saturday. He is likely to inter-act with one of the COVID warriors in Jammu too via video conferencing, sources said.
It may be mentioned here that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will launch vaccination drive for Jammu and Kashmir on January 16 from the GMC Jammu where 100 healthcare workers will receive vaccination on Day one.
Meanwhile, Kashmir today reported three deaths due to COVID-19 today taking the death toll in Jammu and Kashmir to 1,915 while 49 people tested positive.
With today’s deaths, the total fatality count has reached 1203 in the Valley.
Srinagar district with 455 deaths topped the list followed by Baramulla 172, Budgam 111, Kupwara 94, Pulwama 88, Anantnag 84, Bandipora 61, Kulgam 53, Ganderbal 41 and Shopian 39.
Those who tested positive include 26 from Srinagar, three Baramulla, four Budgam, from Pulwama, one Kupwara, three Anantnag, one Bandipora, five Ganderbal and two from Kulgam.
With the fresh cases, the total number of cases in Kashmir division have reached to 72,001 including 70,048 recoveries and 1,203 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 1,468 including 750 from Kashmir division.
With 237 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached to 119,581 which is 97.25 percent of the total cases.
Meanwhile, 30 persons today tested positive for COVID-19 while no casualty was reported in the Jammu region for second consecutive day today.
Of 30 positive cases, 23 were reported in Jammu district, four Udhampur and one each at Doda, Kathua and Ramban districts. No Corona cases were reported from Rajouri, Samba, Kishtwar, Poonch and Reasi districts today.
As many as 125 persons recovered from the virus in Jammu region including 53 in Samba, 52 Jammu, 10 Rajouri, five Doda, three Udhampur and two in Kathua districts. No recoveries were reported from rest of the districts.
Jammu region now has 50963 Corona cases. Of them, 718 are active positive while 49533 have recovered from the virus and there have been 712 casualties.
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